To Take Away the Pain
by AuroraeCanta1432
Summary: Hinata has been abused all her life. It's tiring living like that. She's tried to be better, but nothing has or ever will work with her father. Deciding this was her last beating, she ends it all. But she never knew someone cared, now that someone is distraught and nonfunctional, until a friend helps him. Takes place during the original series. Warning: Abuse and Suicide
1. Chapter 1

_Summary : Hinata has been abused all her life. It's tiring living like that: weak, trying to be better, trying to get better, but nothing has or ever will work with her father. Deciding this was her last beating, she ends it all. In her life though, she never knew someone cared and wanted to do something for her. Now that someone is distraught and nonfunctional, until a friend helps him. Takes place during the original series.  
Warning: Abuse and Suicide_

* * *

' _He hates me. They all hate me. What's my use? That's right, I-I-I have no purpose..._ ' Hinata said to herself hugging her legs as she sat on the floor of her spacious room. Her walls were dabbed a light-purple all around, but her heart had become as black as her closet. She couldn't even look around to her pictures that covered her desk. Pictures of Naruto, Ino, TenTen, Team 11, and so many of her other friends. But she had to have one that made her tear up every time. It was from nearly twelve years ago right in the Hyuga compound's family garden. Standing on the edge of the pool were her demanding father and her gentle mother as she hugged her first daughter. Her eyes were closed with joy while wearing a wide smile unlike her unkindly husband with focused eyes that were as menacing as a wild boar's. He didn't even wear some type of smile for the family picture of the year. Oh, the memories...

' _Mama, why did you have to leave? Why? The man you called a husband is not a lover. After you, his love was the younger child while the eldest was made the laughing stock. You haven't seen what he does. I-I can't even start to describe it..._ ' Tears were rolling down the innocent girl's smooth, white cheeks. Her head was still caressed in her hands before she heard a bellow from below. "Hyuga girl! Get down here immediately!"

"Coming father!" She shouted almost screaming it to the village. She quickly wiped her tears and covered her face with her hair so that it wasn't obvious she had been crying. If her father saw...

She made it to the bottom three stairs before she jumped to make sure she would not be yelled at for being slow, but it didn't help that her ankle twisted and she fell sideways and made a small crash in the floor. "Scum! Stop playing around!"

"I'm coming father!" She tried to stand up as quickly as possible, but fell again. She saw her sister come through the door in he room. Hanabi saw her sister on the floor, considered to help her, but then walked away not wanting to be scolded by the strictness of their father.

"YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING GIRL! YOU BETTER BE HERE IN FIVE SECONDS OR IT WILL BE ANOTHER FIFTY!"

"I'm coming father!" She pulled herself against the wall and limped to the parlor as quickly as she could. She got to the doorway and leaned against the frame.

"Do you have a valid explanation for your lateness?"

She wanted to explain it, or lie about doing homework or something, but no matter what she'd say, she knew he wouldn't accept it. "No, I don't. I'm sorry for making you wait, father."

"You better be. That's at least twenty lashes there after you run these to Ms. Yamanaka. BUT, you better not get caught talking with her daughter again because if you take too long, a hundred."

She bowed quickly, "Yes sir!" She stiffly crossed to the basket of herbs and other beautiful smells and picked up the basket as normally as possible even though it was light but her foot wanted to say otherwise. She covered up her pain and started to turn around. "One second, girl. Here are some rocks to help with strength training," and he put three big rocks against the sides of the woven basket. "If you forget to take these out and actually give them to Ms. Yamanaka, another fifty."

"Yes sir!" ' _Quick bow, quick exit_ ,' she thought to herself and performed before finally leaving the room.

* * *

Hinata stumbled down the street to the Yamanaka flower shop as quickly as she could. She didn't want any more lashes today, or much less, insults. During her beatings, he'd always scorn and mock her, telling her the inevitable truth that she was pathetic, useless, and weak.

"Hey Hinata!" She looked up and saw Shikamaru wave as he walked by and came up to her side. She nodded in response. 'I have to get to the shop quickly.'

"Hey Hinata, do you need some help with that?" She nodded. He grabbed the heavy basket and Hinata started to run as fast as she could.

"Wait up Hinata! Yikes, what do you even have in this."

"Please Shikamaru, I need to get to Ino's house as quickly as possible," and he knew what she meant. Everyone knew about Hiashi, the head of the Hyuga clan. Seen as one of the most powerful ninja in the Leaf, everyone loved him. Therefore, everyone he hated, everyone hated as well. Hinata was then an outcast while it had been decided that Hanabi would be the next leader of the clan instead of her. But to Hinata, it was just proof that she was useless and weak, unwanted and uninvited. Thankfully, she had met a few people that disagreed with Hiashi and accepted Hinata, but being partners with them made her feel weak again. ' _There's no balance._ _All of them are great at their own family jutsu whereas I don't understand my own clan. What is my use if I can't do anything to help others?_ '

She slowed her speed as she came to the flower shop of the Yamanaka clan. Ino saw Hinata and immediately dropped what she was doing to go meet her friend. "Hey Hinata! How're you doing? Oh Shikamaru! Nice to see you as well." Hinata didn't reply though, she just looked down at her feet, then quickly see where Shikamaru was. He had just pulled up right besides her, a little exhausted from carrying what he didn't realize were really rocks. He handed the basket off to Hinata who quickly turned around to remove the rocks, putting them on the side of the road. She stood up and turned around to hand the basket to her friend before she quickly turned around and fled.

"What was that about Nara?"

He had seen Hinata take out actual rocks from such an easily light basket, and he knew exactly why they were in there. "Hiashi..." Ino understood from just the one word, then her anger started to boil up. "Why the hell does he have to be so cruel to her! I saw her -at the beginning of training with Kiba and Shino one time and she was already exhausted from getting there. Then in the evening, I saw her in the Hyuga garden training her butt off with Hiashi. He was so cruel. He eventually got tired of her and called on Neji to train her. Oh goodness, I love Neji for what he did for her compared to Hiashi. He was so much more gentle to her than in the chunin exams." She went into a daze when telling her partner everything. She was staring to the clouds, and her eyes eventually wondered back down to earth and asked Shikamaru, "Isn't there anything we can do?"

Shikamaru mumbled the worst but what would've been in Hinata's best interest: "We could kill Hiashi." As soon as he said that, he felt a smack right across his face from his partner. "Hey! You know it's the truth," he verbally replied to the action, caressing his cheek while speaking.

"Yes, I know, but you can't say such thing in the wide open. Someone could hear you and pulverize her."

"She's right Nara." The two members of Team 10 heard from across the street. They were shocked to have heard anything from anyone at all. They turned and saw the speaker, tensing up at realizing who it was. "But I have to agree with you Nara, it would be for the better of all of us. It's not as bad with Hanabi and I, but it's nothing compared to sweet Hinata. I've even often times tried to get her out of training with her dad because it's so gruesome. And you know me and training, how it must be constant and pushing, but hers with Hiashi is pure torture.

Shikamaru was feeling even worse about Hinata's whole situation. Ino was even on the verge of tears. "I-I d-don't know how she does it. She's so... p-precious a-a-and g-gentle... She's nothing less than an angel to us all..."

"Living under the custody of Hiashi Hyuga!" Neji practically yelled from half-way across the street as he had started walking over. "And there's nothing we can do about it. Hiashi Hyuga has become gruesome because of lose, and he doesn't cope with any sort of change at all. He has always been one to be angered easily, my father even told me so as a young child. His anger and lake-of-coping all goes out on her. And now, and trust me when I say I've observed and seen it, she's losing her own coping abilities. Her body has been in detrimental health and it continues to fall by the day. And I can't imagine what runs through her head now..." Neji had to stop to think for even himself. Ino collapsed as her own thoughts whirled at high speeds inside her head.

Shikamaru's head was an entirely different universe to even begin describing. He had also watched her as she trained in the fields with her team and he saw her stay even afterwards to train herself more while bug-boy and dog-runner went for refreshments. He had tried to bring her food on occasions for after those practices, but failed as she said she had to go home for dinner. She would always turn and sprint back to that Hyuga compound. But he could never see what happened inside those walls. ' _Custody... Gruesome... Anger... Coping... Health... Running though her head..._ '

"Neji..." Hinata's lover spoke in a low voice, "Hinata couldn't be..." ' _No, she is strong, she's lived with it, tolerated it, kept up with it all, and still has a few people..._ '

"Shikamaru, I'm sorry, I heard it for myself. She's alone... Or so she feels like it. I hear her, every night, as I pass to my own room. Rocking back and forth but I didn't realize it until she started voicing it aloud (and thank Kami Hiashi doesn't go up until much later in the night). The first time I heard it, I went into her room and tried to help her but..." Neji, _the Neji Hyuga_ , fell to his knees with a low head to cover his teared face and tight, white fists on his knees. It took him a while to compose himself, but after some help from Ino's comforting hand on his shoulder, he began speaking again. "She hates it... hates everything..., hates herself, her life... she regrets everything... even her friends. I hate seeing her pain compared to bearing my own." He spoke from true experience. A few times he had angered Hiashi and the curse of the Hyuga side branch had been used on him. He hated it, and it was why he always kept himself strictly composed. But he hated Hinata's situation more because her pain seemed never ending compared to his hope light at the end of the tunnel. She had none.


	2. Chapter 2

Hinata had made her way back home very quickly, out of fear again. As always, she attempted to sneak toward her room, but always knew she failed when she heard her father's voice. "Hyuga girl!"

"Coming sir!" ' _Be quick, be quick Hinata._ ' She made it to the room.

"I take it you delivered the herbs then?" He gave a look of the devil as he stared at Hinata cold-heartedly.

"Yes sir!" She had to show confidence, or else the whip...

"And your training rocks?"  
"Out of the baskets before I handed them over."

He pursed his lips in slight surprise at her quickness. "Let's just check that." As he went over to the device that transmitted messages only with he voice. He dialed the numbers and soon heard Ms. Yamanaka's voice from the device.

"Mushi mushi."  
"Hi. This is Hiashi. I just wanted to make sure that you received the herbs I sent you."

Hinata was confident she wouldn't get a punishment for this. She had delivered it to the Yamanaka household without the rocks and returned quickly. She had completed her mission perfectly...

"Oh? No, I haven't received any herbs since the other week. Sorry."

Hiashi threw the device to the other side of the room while stomping across the room to grab the poor girl around the neck against the wall. "LIAR! HOW DARE YOU LIE TO YOUR OWN FATHER! AND NONETHELESS, THE LEADER OF YOUR CLAN. LASHINGS UNTIL NIGHTFALL!" He screamed at her before dragging her be the collar of her sweater. Her sweater, zipped to its usual tightness to her neck, choked her.

By the time she was in the gardens, all the maids knew to be in the kitchen away from the fury. Hanabi was sitting in the garden before she tried to do the same, for she hadn't noticed the anger until it was in the garden doorway, but Hiashi had different ideas. "Hanabi, stay!" She slowly came back and stood straight-up by her sister who was crumpled on the ground and no jacket as Hiashi had torn off when he threw her to the ground. Weak.

"You will learn your leadership skill now Hanabi. Watch me, study me, as I use this because you will use it in time too." He pulled out his whip, looking like any other human whip, but then infused it with his chakra. Hanabi had never actually seen what he'd done to her sister and so it horrified her, petrified her almost, but she stomped over and took the whip with from his hand and turned toward Hinata.

Hinata couldn't believe it. She looked up, and here she saw her sister, her beautiful, perfect, little sister, holding a deadly weapon of chakra, holding a fierce face against her, angry almost.

She buried her head in arms again, braving herself for the strike, the horrible, cracking strike.

The first yell came, from Hanabi, "You monster!" ' _I know._ ' "What have you done!" ' _I'm sorry._ ' "I should report you to The Third for such cruelty. She's done nothing but do your bidding and obey your rules. Yes, she might not have the capacity you expected of her, but she works harder than you ever did in the academy and afterwards!"

' _What is this? Why?_ '  
"Why you little!" The man yelled as he snatched his whip back and began to bring it down. On instinct of the cracking whip, Hinata blocked it from her sister. Hanabi stared at her sister as she fell on the ground again, a large gash wrapped around her right arm. Hiashi was not pleased.

"How dare you interfere in my own matters! You!" pointing to Hanabi, "I'll deal with you later. And you!" eyes back on Hinata, "will pay for everything past the moon rising." He brought it down again, but Hanabi grabbed his arm and the rope grazed Hanabi's leg. But he merely used a jutsu to knock her out for a few hours until midnight. He turned back to her. "It's you and me now."

 _Crack_ , grunt, _crack_ , cry, _crack_ , tears, _crack_ , recoil, _crack_ , scream...

By the end of the screams, he sun was hidden, but the moon was not showing itself yet, and Hiashi continued.

"Now, unlike what you do, I'm going to practice my jutsu." And with that, he had his Byakugan out. Hit after hit, his hands didn't even touch her frail, little body, but in accordance with the Hyuga jutsus, they hardly did. The force he put into his throws and the amount of chakra used in each strike were unbelievable, and hardly able to bear.

He struck the sixty-four chakra points.

She was hardly alive, and how she was alive after beatings and this was unheard of, seemingly impossible even. Then again, the pain is impossible to describe.

The night had finally fallen, and the crumpled body lay in blood and dirt. The man came over and spoke one more thing, the phrase he always thought when he saw her: "Your pathetic, useless, worthless, _nothing_."

It was a cloudless night; beautiful, peaceful, perfect. The only imperfection hidden in that night laid by the Hyuga fountain. The wind took pity on it, and so blew a previous piece of paper from the nearby room.

' _Why..._ '

' _Why do I have to put up with this..._ '

 _You don't have to,_ a familiar voice whispered in her head. _I know you don't want to leave them all, but... you don't have to tolerate this anymore._

' _No, I don't... Do I..._ '

She pulled a kunai from her pocket, then pulled herself up to lean against the fountain. She needed it to stop. Life wasn't looking any better as long as _he_ was alive, but nothing could bring that about for her life to get better.

Hinata put the kunai to her inner arm, and pulled. In a few short seconds, red beads began appearing. She did it again, and again, slowly making her way toward her hand, pressing harder with each stroke. It was pain, but a new kind of pain. One that didn't make her feel weak, only maybe a little scared but quickly into a thrill almost, as the beads turned to threads, growing longer, wider, and moving. It began dripping down her arm onto the grass and her clothes as she pulled back her pants and proceeded to press and swipe on her legs.

Dark spots began appearing when she analyzed her work. Light in head, she kept her bloodied arm on her knee and leaned her hand on the ground, still holding the kunai. It was finally happening. At long last, what she had long hoped for was finally coming as the world started fading away.

* * *

Shikamaru didn't know what to do. He had managed to make it to his room after he greeted and talked to Hanabi Hyuga at the front door. He couldn't have stood for much longer.

He was lost.

His mind was spinning with thoughts and visions, imagining what had happened to her: the violence to both girls, the resulting state of his crush, the look she might have had when...

 _'No! I can't think that! No! Don't think of her like that! Remember her well, remember her happy...  
_ _But she was never happy. The last time she smiled was when we were 5...'_

He didn't know what to do with himself. He wanted to stay and sit there on the ground; he wanted to scream into his pillow; he wanted to punch the wall to oblivion; he wanted to cry; he wanted -

"Knock knock," he heard at the door. He didn't respond.

"Come on I only just got to town and everyone's acting weird." Continued silence.

"Really? I'm surprised you are too." He heard the door try to be opened. "Wow this is new for you. Come on, I know you're not on a mission and everyone I've talked to says you're in here." He couldn't talk to her. He couldn't talk to anyone right now...

 _'Fine_ ,' Temari thought to herself. ' _Playing hard to get eh?'_ as she began picking at the lock.

It didn't take long before Temari walked in to see the mess that Shikamaru's room was. She knew boys were messy, she lived with two. What made her worry was the fact that things around the room looked broken, and he lay against the wall with a dazed look.

"Shikamaru?" she inquired as she slowly approached, first setting her fan against the door frame. He only curled into himself more at her approaching. "Shikamaru, what's going on?" she asked softly and calmly.

He swallowed, opened his mouth, tried to talk, but failed. He open and closed it multiple times before he screamed "HINATA!" and started crying again.

Temari looked around the room and on the floor only a few meters from her and Shikamaru was a photograph. By the hair on their heads and the insignias on their cloths, should could make out a few people: Shikamaru, Choji, Sakura, Ino, Kiba, even Naruto. Then she noticed the little girl hiding to the side with short blue hair and bright white eyes. _Hinata_.

' _Okay, this is emergency enough, he'll understand.'_ She pulled from her pocket a little puppet. Kankuro had given one to both her and Gaara if there were ever an emergency or they were in trouble. In her mind right now, the most calm, logical, straight-forward thinking guy was losing his mind right now and Hinata was part of the reason. She needed to know why.

Temari laid the puppet in front of her on the ground where she kneeled. Hovering her hand over the doll, she put some chakra into it. Picking it up again, she whispered, "Find out what's wrong with Hinata Hyuga," and let it be on its way.

She slowly crept to the Naru boy's side, and put a hand on his shoulder. He leaned into her. _He trusted her._ She pulled him closer, gently stroking him in an effort to calm him down.

He eventually fell asleep and she repositioned him to lay on her lap. Only five minutes later the puppet was back and hopped on her shoulder and began to whisper the main details of the past few days.

Shocked, she looked down at the boy on her lap. She had picked up a hint way-back-when that he had feelings for this girl. It was no wonder he was distraught. By the looks of it, he had been close to her in their childhood, and now... _she was gone._

She did her best to keep him comfortable. She would thankfully be in town for a few days, but that's all she needed: a few days with him to help him get back on his feet. She looked at him again, finally laying peacefully on her lap. 'I'll do anything to help you, Shikamaru.'


End file.
